The state of Illinois likely didn’t issue too many manufacturer license plates in 1948, so it’s no surprise that the first of those plates went to the biggest auto manufacturing story in that state at that time. More than 60 years later, those plates, recently unearthed from a decades-long rest, will head to auction along with a couple other unique pieces of Tucker memorabilia.

According to Bonhams, which will include the license plates and tworenderings of a Tucker sports car in its Quail Lodge sale next month, the memorabilia comes from the estate of the unnamed assistant treasurer of the Tucker Corporation, headquartered in a sprawling Chicago factory that built engines for B-29 bombers during World War II. The license plates – reportedly used on the first Tucker production car – show a little storage rash, but the renderings remain amazingly crisp.

While the license plates are curious for their low number and history, they are not the only 1948 Illinois manufacturer plates assigned to Tucker still floating around. At the Auctions America by RM Lee Roy Hartung collection sale last November, four pairs of 1948 Illinois manufacturer plates (67, 71, 84, and 93) sold for between $2,875 and $5,750, with lower numbers selling for more than the higher numbers.

Bonhams has placed a pre-auction estimate of $6,000 to $8,000 on the pair of license plates and $4,000 to $6,000 on each of the renderings. The Quail Lodge sale will take place August 16-17 in Carmel, California. For more information, visit Bonhams.com.

14 Responses to “Tucker memorabilia surfaces at auction”

We too have some interesting Tucker items coming up at our Glenmoor Gathering Grande Salon auction in September from the William A.C. Pettit, III estate. The Pettit’s former Museum of Motoring Memories had a Tucker and ostensibly they had a display built around it with a few new old stock emblems (steering wheel and hood badge) as well as some original manufacturer paperwork and an unusual desk set made for Tucker – among other items we unearthed while cleaning out Pettit’s estate. Soon to be catalogued on the Classic Motorcar Auctions website….

I haven’t seen those renderings before. Those seem like rather stunning design ideas for 1947-48, especially the first one (left photo). Squint your eyes just so and you get a vague hint of design lines in the ’63 Stingray.

Although I have nothing to prove it, I saw these plates ona Tucker in the Chicago parade introducing the car. I stood on th sidewalk with my Father, now long Passed, and watched with fascination. I’m sorry the car didn’t last. Who knows what would have happened in engineering and design maturity?

In the ’70s the # 1 Illinois MFG plate was assigned to a custom body builder in Chicago.

AMC/Jeep had the # 8 plate with letter suffixes. I drove cars with 8 ap and 8 m during that time. The plates went from car to car just like dealer plates and were assigned to an individual rather than a specific car.

My dad had a lot of tucker parts a few years ago.He wanted to make one originally after he saw the movie Tucker a man and his dream. I sold it all off to my knowledge But heard rumors he actually found one and bought it. I always find it cool when this stuff surfaces